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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> To smugmug or not to smugmug?!
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06/26/2006 04:11:42 PM · #1
Recently I have had a couple of opportunities not come through because I dont have a website. What is the general consensus, should I learn how to make a website and make my own or should I use services like smugmug?
It looks like most of the smugmug websites that I have seen are pretty similar to each other. What do you guys think?

Show off your websites!
06/26/2006 04:13:21 PM · #2
Mine is: PenrodStudios
06/26/2006 04:13:36 PM · #3
well this is my smugmug site

//www.lamontphotography.com

they are pretty much the same but I have seen some different ones......thats if you know how to customize your site really well.

Message edited by author 2006-06-26 16:13:59.
06/26/2006 04:20:34 PM · #4
This is mine it's a few years old. I'm redoing it in Flash.
PaulRodrigues.com
06/26/2006 04:26:31 PM · #5
I know this sounds crazy.... but I recently shut my web site down because the cost and upkeep was not worth it (in my opinion). I DID however start up an infamous MYSPACE account. Its free, its easy and its AMAZING how quickly you can market yourself and extend a network.

Whereas I got maybe one referral a month and 4 shoots from my website... I now find myself getting two-three calls a day from my myspace account.
06/26/2006 04:31:50 PM · #6
Originally posted by CalamitysMaster00:

I know this sounds crazy.... but I recently shut my web site down because the cost and upkeep was not worth it (in my opinion).


Doteasy.com will host your site for free, you only have to pay for the domain name.

Message edited by author 2006-06-26 16:34:41.
06/26/2006 05:01:24 PM · #7
I haven't had time to do much customization of my site. It's pretty close to what I want already anyway, so it's not like I'm just dieing to change it. The whole point (for me) of going to something like smugmug is that I don't have to spend my time maintaining the site.

You can take a look at mine and see what you think:

www.dterryphotography.com

And here's a coupon for $5 off if you decide to sign up: Yi9EsaJKWupHM
06/26/2006 05:09:07 PM · #8
I have Google Analytics as part of my smugmug customization and can see where my visitors are coming from--the ability to customize a little has been quite useful. I sell mostly event photos through my site, and customers seem happy with it. What makes me the happiest besides photo protection is the new features they're always adding--and I'm not paying a web developer! They're adding new pro features soon, and are always open to ideas. Come visit.
my website

Message edited by author 2006-06-26 17:09:35.
06/27/2006 01:57:30 PM · #9
thanks.. i see you guys have gotten creative with yours, but they still resemble eachother a bit.
-Do you guys use the PRO or the regular version of Smugmug?
-How has the print feature worked for you guys?
06/27/2006 02:01:50 PM · #10
I use the pro version, it lets you go crazy with the customization of your site also on the prints it lets set your own prices. Also smugmugs prints are great.
06/27/2006 02:05:18 PM · #11
The prints themselves are superb. The only "gotcha" is that, when letting customers do their own printing, sometimes they "ain't so smart". I had one lady crop her husband's head off because she didn't bother looking at the cropping being done by the size she had chosen.

So on the one hand, it is nice that you can upload one image and use it for multiple croppings (unlike DPC prints). On the other, the customer ends up taking some responsibility for getting the picture right when they order it. In some ways, I would much rather that the order come to ME first ... let me make any adjustments necessary before the picture is printed and shipped. In fact, if they allowed this, then I would upload smaller versions of my images for browsing, then when an order comes through I would edit the picture and crop for the specific size they need and upload / ship.

By the way, smugmug was really good about the "cropping mishap". They re-shipped the picture to her free of charge.
06/27/2006 02:09:59 PM · #12
I've ordered prints from smugmug and they were really quite good...
06/27/2006 03:13:28 PM · #13
I, personally, wouldn't do smugmug...

There are other great sites like printroom.com, pbase, that offer the same services, but more tailored to your needs.

From my experience, I've found smugmug's staff to not be that caring of photographers' needs or their rights...so, like I said, I'd look into those other two sites depending on your needs.
06/27/2006 03:18:16 PM · #14
Originally posted by deapee:

printroom.com


I was thinking of switching to them but saw that for $99/year you only got 300mb of storage.

Smugmug gives you unlimtied space plus more. So I think I would recommend smugmug

Message edited by author 2006-06-27 15:18:35.
06/27/2006 03:20:34 PM · #15
Why I am opposed to smugmug...

;)
06/27/2006 03:23:39 PM · #16
Originally posted by mk:

Why I am opposed to smugmug...

;)


haha
06/27/2006 03:23:49 PM · #17
Originally posted by rex:

Originally posted by deapee:

printroom.com


I was thinking of switching to them but saw that for $99/year you only got 300mb of storage.

Smugmug gives you unlimtied space plus more. So I think I would recommend smugmug


I now have 12,000+ pictures, using over 47Gb, up on smugmug. If nothing else, they offer a "cheap" form of backup for me. I do have an external drive that I back everything up to before I do anything. But even if my house burned down, I still have all of my customers' images safe on smugmug.

06/27/2006 03:24:57 PM · #18
Originally posted by rex:

Originally posted by deapee:

printroom.com


I was thinking of switching to them but saw that for $99/year you only got 300mb of storage.

Smugmug gives you unlimtied space plus more. So I think I would recommend smugmug


For printroom...that 300mb is just your thumbnails...like how you get 50mb here on dpc...which you can EASLIY make 600 pixels, 80kb if you choose. The prints that you sell (fullsize) don't count...

And it helps because you don't have to edit and upload 200 fullsize files ... just upload the thumbs, when they sell, you prepare and upload the fullsize.

--

Furthermore, if you just want something for people to browse, or sell your own prints through paypal, pbase is better.

edit to add if you run out of space on the 300mb, more room can be purchased for pretty cheaply...anyway, just sharing my opinion...then moving on ... peace out.

Message edited by author 2006-06-27 15:26:47.
06/27/2006 03:26:49 PM · #19
Originally posted by dwterry:


I now have 12,000+ pictures, using over 47Gb, up on smugmug. If nothing else, they offer a "cheap" form of backup for me. I do have an external drive that I back everything up to before I do anything. But even if my house burned down, I still have all of my customers' images safe on smugmug.


thats what I like about them also, and if theres a problem with the site (running slow or not loading) they are quick to fix up the problem

You can learn alot in the their fourms and all nice peps there also

Message edited by author 2006-06-27 15:28:04.
06/28/2006 02:07:10 AM · #20
Thanks for your responses. They have really helped the process out.
And yes Rex, im gonna have to give SmugMug a yellow card for the unecessary use of comic sans. LOL

What does the night crowd think about the website choices???
06/28/2006 02:31:07 AM · #21
Love smuggy!

My Smuggy Site

(not customized yet.... too busy shooting & adding event pix, maybe this fall...right!)
06/28/2006 05:46:56 AM · #22
built from scratch by me :-)
here

Message edited by author 2006-06-28 05:47:23.
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